Reproductive Health Status of Indian Women: A Critical Appraisal

Abstract

Reproductive health is fundamental to social and economic development of a family, community as well as nation, and a key component of an equitable society. Reproductive health is important for gender equality and women empowerment. Women’s reproductive health status is poor, and their sexual and reproductive rights are not fully raised in many countries, maternal mortality rates are higher, and women’s, chances of dying of pregnancy-related complications are almost 50 times higher in developing countries than in developed countries. Women are particularly vulnerable and also have a lack of knowledge regarding reproductive health in India. Reproductive health is a concept of human rights. Important areas of concern for reproductive health programmes in India are poor quality of reproductive health services especially in an urgent situation; lack of focus of adolescent’s knowledge on reproductive health and lack of education. Women in India and particularly the economically disadvantaged women suffer the highest rates of complications due to pregnancy such as sexually transmitted diseases, and reproductive cancers. Lack of access to comprehensive reproductive care is the main reason, and many women suffer and die. Women are deprived of access to reproductive health care services and are influenced by the socio-economic cultural factors. Which include low social status in family and community, lack of access to economic resource and education, inability to make a decision about their health, nutrition and so on? Reproductive health facilities at the community level are poorly equipped to deal with gynecological and obstetric. Reproductive health is defined as a ‘state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absences of disease or infirmity, in all matters relating to the reproductive systems and to its functions and processes’ (United States: 1994). Reproductive health addresses the human sexuality and reproductive processes, functions and system at all stages of life and implies that people are able to have a satisfying and safe sex life and that they have the capacity to reproduce and the freedom to decide, when and how often to do so. The main objectives of this study are; to study the reproductive health situation in an Indian context, to know the problems of women in respective of their reproductive system, the study aims at assessing the reproductive health status of Indian women, and to understand the relationship between reproductive health and gender rights.